Lester Abeloff's life was marked by courage, enterprise, generosity

Lester G. Abeloff, a World War II bomber crewman, businessman and philanthropist who epitomized the importance of giving back to his community, died at his home Tuesday.

CAMILO H. SMITH

Lester G. Abeloff, a World War II bomber crewman, businessman and philanthropist who epitomized the importance of giving back to his community, died at his home Tuesday.

He was 95.

Known early in his career in the 1950s and 1960s as the owner of Les Abeloff Pontiac in Stroudsburg, Abeloff, the son of a furniture salesman, later became known for his support of local arts and education in his hometown.

He was recognized by the Pocono Mountains chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professions with a lifetime achievement award in 2008.

Pocono Medical Center, Temple Israel, East Stroudsburg University, the YMCA and the Salvation Army were among the organizations Abeloff contributed his money.

"Pocono Medical Center, ESU and Temple Israel, those are my top three charities," he told the Pocono Record in 2008.

Giving was in his nature and he had a focus on faith, healing and education when it came to the local organizations he supported.

The Abeloff Center for Performing Arts at his alma mater, East Stroudsburg University, was named in his honor, and the Clementine Abeloff Community Health Center at the Pocono Medical Center was named after his wife in 1996.

Early on, Abeloff was a strong supporter of his Jewish faith, being elected president of the Young People's League of Temple Israel in 1937. He acknowledged that the area had opened up more to different cultures and religions in the decades he lived here.

"When I was growing up, as a kid, this wasn't as tolerant a community as it is now. There's a lot more diversity now," he said in 2008.

He fought for freedom aboard a World War II bomber after he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941.

He was the lead squadron navigator on a B-17 "Flying Fortress," completing more than 50 missions before being shot down.

Abeloff served for 4½ years, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.

Abeloff was born in Stroudsburg in 1917. He attended East Stroudsburg High School and later East Stroudsburg State Teachers College (now East Stroudsburg University) during the Depression. He graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in secondary education in 1939. Later, he taught at the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.

Abeloff was married for 63 years to Clementine G. (Kupiszewski) Abeloff, who died on Aug. 9, 2005. He is survived by a son, Daniel P. Abeloff of Carlsbad, Calif.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Temple Israel, 711 Wallace St., in Stroudsburg, with Baruch Melman officiating.